Partition Fail & Storage Lost on Macbook Pro (Mid 2012)

[ONI]

Hi All!

New to this forum and hope I can find help here for this problem - searched other sources and couldn't really find a similar thread.

I attempted a simple HD partition on Mid 2012 non-retina Macbook Pro (Mountain Lion) in order to make space for eventual Linux distro boot as dual boot. As I attempted the partition I noticed it was taking very long and decided to abort and quit Disk Utility. When I restarted the computer I noticed that the HD had indeed not been partitioned, but the 100GB of space I had allocated for the partition had been "eaten up" by the HD (i.e. HD had ca. 150GB free space before aborted partition effort - only ca. 55GB after). MInd you, all the missing storage was allocated to "other" when checking system information. Attempted another partition effort, now with remaining 55GB, but failed. Follows the log for my entire use on Disk Utility today (two HD sizes marked in red).

I very much hope someone out there can help me with this problem. I am not very tech-savvy, but taken through anything that needs to be done step by step I'm sure I will manage
Many thanks in advance!

2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Preparing to partition disk: “APPLE HDD HTS547550A9E384 Media”
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Partition Scheme: GUID Partition Table
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: 2 partitions will be created
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200:
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Partition 1
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Name : “Macintosh HD”
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Size : 397.23 GB
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: File system : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Do not erase contents
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200:
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Partition 2
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Name : “Macintosh HD 2”
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Size : 100.99 GB
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: File system : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200:
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Beginning partition operations
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Verifying the disk
2020-11-02 12:32:11 +0200: Checking file system
2020-11-02 12:37:27 +0200: Performing live verification.
2020-11-02 12:37:27 +0200: Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
2020-11-02 12:37:27 +0200: Checking extents overflow file.
2020-11-02 12:37:27 +0200: Checking catalog file.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: Checking multi-linked files.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: Checking catalog hierarchy.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: Checking extended attributes file.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: Checking volume bitmap.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: Checking volume information.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
2020-11-02 12:37:28 +0200: Shrinking the disk
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2020-11-02 12:42:16 +0200: Disk Utility started.

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2020-11-02 12:50:53 +0200: Disk Utility started.

2020-11-02 12:51:11 +0200:
Name : APPLE HDD HTS547550A9E384 Media
Type : Disk

Partition Map Scheme : GUID Partition Table
Disk Identifier : disk0
Media Name : APPLE HDD HTS547550A9E384 Media
Media Type : Generic
Connection Bus : SATA
Device Tree : IODeviceTree:/PCI0@0/SATA@1F,2/PRT0@0/PMP@0
Writable : Yes
Ejectable : No
Location : Internal
Total Capacity : 500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 Bytes)
Disk Number : 0
Partition Number : 0
S.M.A.R.T. Status : Verified


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2020-11-02 12:59:27 +0200: Disk Utility started.

2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Verifying partition map for “APPLE HDD HTS547550A9E384 Media”
2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Starting verification tool:
2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Checking prerequisites
2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Checking the partition list
2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Checking for an EFI system partition
2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Checking the EFI system partition’s size
2020-11-02 13:01:29 +0200: Checking the EFI system partition’s file system
2020-11-02 13:01:30 +0200: Checking all HFS data partition loader spaces
2020-11-02 13:01:30 +0200: Checking Core Storage Physical Volume partitions
2020-11-02 13:01:30 +0200: The partition map appears to be OK
2020-11-02 13:01:30 +0200:
2020-11-02 13:01:30 +0200:

**********
2020-11-02 13:11:29 +0200: Disk Utility started.

**********
2020-11-02 13:42:10 +0200: Disk Utility started.

**********
2020-11-02 14:02:57 +0200: Disk Utility started.

**********
2020-11-02 14:03:20 +0200: Disk Utility started.

**********
2020-11-02 16:26:31 +0200: Disk Utility started.

2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Preparing to partition disk: “APPLE HDD HTS547550A9E384 Media”
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Partition Scheme: GUID Partition Table
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: 2 partitions will be created
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200:
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Partition 1
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Name : “Macintosh HD”
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Size : 454.45 GB
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: File system : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Do not erase contents
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200:
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Partition 2
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Name : “Macintosh HD 2”
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Size : 43.76 GB
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: File system : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200:
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Beginning partition operations
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Verifying the disk
2020-11-02 16:27:15 +0200: Checking file system
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Performing live verification.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking Journaled HFS Plus volume.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking extents overflow file.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking catalog file.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking multi-linked files.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking catalog hierarchy.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking extended attributes file.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking volume bitmap.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Checking volume information.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Invalid volume free block count
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: (It should be 38520393 instead of 13612517)
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: The volume Macintosh HD was found corrupt and needs to be repaired.
2020-11-02 16:32:23 +0200: Partition failed for disk Macintosh HD Couldn’t modify partition map because file system verification failed.
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2020-11-02 17:28:19 +0200: Disk Utility started.

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

It appears that you do have unpartitioned space labeled as other. Very likely when you quit Disk Utility, the partition table had not been written properly.

Best thing for you to do now is make a backup of all your data on that drive (which appears to be a Seagate 500GB model), and erase it, format it as HFS+ Guid, and start over. Reinstall Mountain Lion.

That's the only safe way you're going to be able to straighten out the mess that the drive is in. Hopefully the drive will survive and be useful to you. That drive is old and might even be defective although Disk Utility says otherwise.

 

[ONI]

Thank you so much, chscag!!

Right you are - it is the Seagate 500GB and I was planning to replace it with a 1TB SSD very soon (+some more RAM), so perhaps that SSD can serve as the backup drive before I insert it into the computer? Question is whether I will be able to transfer my entire system rather than just the files? If so, can you suggest any good method for this? Will transferring the entire system not also transfer that fantom 100GB to the new drive?

Many thanks again for your swift reply and help!!

 

[chscag]

If you replace that older Seagate drive with the new SSD, I recommend using the Migration Assistant to move those files, folders, and applications you wish. Don't worry about transferring the system since you will have to format the SSD and install Mountain Lion on it.

The Phantom 100GB will not get moved to the new SSD. You should be okay.

 

[ONI]

Thanks again!

One last question - Migration Assistant is different than cloning a HD?

All best!

 

[IWT]

Migration Assistant is different than cloning a HD?

Yes. Migration Assistant is a built in Apple product which permits you to move data from one drive or system to another.

Here is a brief overview:

Transfer to a new Mac with Migration Assistant – Apple Support (UK)

Use Migration Assistant to copy your files from another computer.

support.apple.com

And here is another longer explanation of its uses:

How to Set Up a New Mac: Should You Migrate or Do a Clean Installation? - The Mac Security Blog

When you set up a new Mac, the Setup Assistant will help you migrate files to the new computer or do a clean installation. Here’s how to set up your new Mac.

www.intego.com

Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! can make an exact "clone"/copy of a drive including your Mac's Internal Hard Drive.

Ian

 

[ONI]

Hi ian and thanks for your help! Still, not quite sure that I get it: The above refers to migration from one computer to the next. I will have an external SSD connected via USB - does the Migration Assistant allow for that option as well?

 

[IWT]

Yes. As Admin chscag suggested in post #4.

My links were to give you a taste of the power and versatility of Migration Assistant.

Ian

 

[ONI]

Many thanks for both your help!!